Chemo started on Monday, 3/13/17 and finished about 10:15 p.m. My first full day of Chemo was Tuesday. I wasn't doing too bad, but really sore from the port surgery.
Day 2 Wednesday
I still had some pain from the port, taking pain meds to help that. I went into work, and actually made it to work at around 7:30 (normally I go in around 6:30-7:00) and made it until about 3:30. It helped to be at work to focus on something besides cancer.
Day 3 Thursday
I thought I was going to do better today, I got up early and had some pain so took a pain medicine, I went right back to sleep. Made it into work around 9:30.
Day 4 Friday
I thought today would be the turnaround day for me. I got up early, got ready but sat in the chair in the living room and just slept until about 8:30 or so. I just closed my eyes and went to sleep. That's something I never do.
Being tired is so hard for me, I usually am on the go all day long. I am hoping the next two weeks will be easier and then I'll get my next treatment on March 29th. I decided to go on a Friday, so I can sleep on the weekend!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Neulasta On-Pro, Easy Peasy!
Neulasta On-Pro, Easy Peasy!!
When I left the hospital after my chemo treatment, I needed to get a Neulasta shot. Neulasta is a medicine that boosts your white blood cells that are lost during chemo treatments. They decided to do an on-board Neulasta device instead of a shot. That made my life easier because I didn't have to wait around to get a shot in Tulsa, I could come right home!
They put it on my stomach on the night of my chemo treatment. The nurse put it on me by peeling off the backing and just placing it on my stomach. There was a green flashing light and after 2 minutes, the device gave a little POP and it stuck a needle in my stomach. I didn't feel a thing.
I left it on for 27 hours until midnight last night (Tuesday evening), it went off at 11:45 p.m. and then started dispensing medicine and was done after 45 minutes. We had to stay up to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't leak any medicine out. It went perfectly. But Mark and I were both tired!
When I left the hospital after my chemo treatment, I needed to get a Neulasta shot. Neulasta is a medicine that boosts your white blood cells that are lost during chemo treatments. They decided to do an on-board Neulasta device instead of a shot. That made my life easier because I didn't have to wait around to get a shot in Tulsa, I could come right home!
I left it on for 27 hours until midnight last night (Tuesday evening), it went off at 11:45 p.m. and then started dispensing medicine and was done after 45 minutes. We had to stay up to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't leak any medicine out. It went perfectly. But Mark and I were both tired!
Once it was completed, I carefully peeled it off and here's what the little needle looked like.
Here's what my skin looked like after. Easy Peasy!!
My Treatment Plan at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa
My treatment plan and initial visit to Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa
When I had first talked to the CTCA in Tulsa on the phone, they were very nice. Answered all my questions, told me how they would take care of me. I talked to them on Sunday, 2/26/17, and they took my insurance paperwork and all of my information.
They called me back on Monday to tell me how the insurance would pay. I signed a release to get the doctor's information so that they could discuss my next steps.
Once they got my doctor's information, they scheduled an appointment for me for Sunday, March 5th and possibly until Tuesday.
My first appointment was at the lab draw so they could get my blood work results. The person I met in the waiting room of the lab draw was really what cinched the whole thing for me, that I knew this was the right place for me. The couple was from Texas and the wife had pancreatic cancer. They had such good results with the CTCA and had come from a cancer center in Texas, but they were much happier with Tulsa. They answered all my questions and all my fears were for not. It's one thing to hear about a place like this from someone that is already there and very happy.
The next morning, I met with several doctors. I have a HER2 positive protein that makes the cancer cells spread very fast. Here's the definition of that:
Due to this, they want to kill this protein our first. They do that by giving me chemotherapy for 6 sessions. I'll go to Tulsa and get the chemo on a day, come home and stay for 3 weeks, then go back for another treatment. I'll do this for 6 sessions of chemo. Since I'm doing definitions, here's the definition of Chemo.
The chemo for me consists of two medicines:
Taxotere
Carboplatin
Then I also receive a drug called Herceptin, which kills the HER2 protein. I will do that drug for an additional 12 sessions, but only that one, not the other two chemo drugs.
So this means, I will be doing 6 sessions = 18 weeks, plus an additional 12 sessions = 36 weeks, basically well over a year with of trips back and forth to Tulsa.
After I get through the first 6 sessions of chemo, then we will do surgery. The surgery will probably consist of a mastectomy of either just the left breast or both. I'll have time to decide about that and what reconstruction options I have.
During my first initial visit, they ran an MRI that told us I had 3 more spots farther inside the left breast, these 3 were in additional to the 2 that they found at the Lebanon hospital during the routing mammogram. They did not think the lymph nodes had any issues, however, they will still have to check them during surgery. No lumps showed up on the right breast, which was very good news.
I asked them at my second trip if it was spread throughout my body. They said that I was designated a Cancer Stage 1 and they didn't not think it had spread further. So that was also really good news.
I'm in great health otherwise, all of my blood work came back well within the normal levels, the EKG and ultrasound they did on my heart were really good too. They monitor these blood levels every time I go in and the measure my heart every 90 days or so.
I think that covers most everything on my treatment plan. Everyone's plan is different and uniquely tailored to the person. I am certainly learning a lot.
Thanks to everyone that prays for me, that gives me hugs and warm thoughts and love. It's been truly amazing. I'll write on that more later.
When I had first talked to the CTCA in Tulsa on the phone, they were very nice. Answered all my questions, told me how they would take care of me. I talked to them on Sunday, 2/26/17, and they took my insurance paperwork and all of my information.
They called me back on Monday to tell me how the insurance would pay. I signed a release to get the doctor's information so that they could discuss my next steps.
Once they got my doctor's information, they scheduled an appointment for me for Sunday, March 5th and possibly until Tuesday.
My first appointment was at the lab draw so they could get my blood work results. The person I met in the waiting room of the lab draw was really what cinched the whole thing for me, that I knew this was the right place for me. The couple was from Texas and the wife had pancreatic cancer. They had such good results with the CTCA and had come from a cancer center in Texas, but they were much happier with Tulsa. They answered all my questions and all my fears were for not. It's one thing to hear about a place like this from someone that is already there and very happy.
The next morning, I met with several doctors. I have a HER2 positive protein that makes the cancer cells spread very fast. Here's the definition of that:
HER2-positive breast cancer is a breast cancer that tests positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. In about 1 of every 5 breast cancers, the cancer cells have a gene mutation that makes an excess of the HER2 protein.
Chemotherapy is the use of any drug to treat any disease. But to most people, the word chemotherapy means drugs used for cancer treatment. It's often shortened to “chemo.” Surgery and radiation therapy remove, kill, or damage cancer cells in a certain area, but chemo can work throughout the whole body.
The chemo for me consists of two medicines:
Taxotere
Carboplatin
Then I also receive a drug called Herceptin, which kills the HER2 protein. I will do that drug for an additional 12 sessions, but only that one, not the other two chemo drugs.
So this means, I will be doing 6 sessions = 18 weeks, plus an additional 12 sessions = 36 weeks, basically well over a year with of trips back and forth to Tulsa.
After I get through the first 6 sessions of chemo, then we will do surgery. The surgery will probably consist of a mastectomy of either just the left breast or both. I'll have time to decide about that and what reconstruction options I have.
During my first initial visit, they ran an MRI that told us I had 3 more spots farther inside the left breast, these 3 were in additional to the 2 that they found at the Lebanon hospital during the routing mammogram. They did not think the lymph nodes had any issues, however, they will still have to check them during surgery. No lumps showed up on the right breast, which was very good news.
I asked them at my second trip if it was spread throughout my body. They said that I was designated a Cancer Stage 1 and they didn't not think it had spread further. So that was also really good news.
I'm in great health otherwise, all of my blood work came back well within the normal levels, the EKG and ultrasound they did on my heart were really good too. They monitor these blood levels every time I go in and the measure my heart every 90 days or so.
I think that covers most everything on my treatment plan. Everyone's plan is different and uniquely tailored to the person. I am certainly learning a lot.
Thanks to everyone that prays for me, that gives me hugs and warm thoughts and love. It's been truly amazing. I'll write on that more later.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Port install and first day of chemo
Cancer Treatment Center of America
Here's Mark again, feeling sad and worried.
They put the port in, I was out the whole time. When I woke up, I was sick to my stomach. I threw up a couple of times, they quickly gave me some medicine and it went away. This is in the Chemo room. I have 3 different chemo medicines to take. But first they gave me some anti-upset stomach medicine and some benadryl to help me sleep. I took a nap through most of the chemo. All of this took 6 1/2 hours. I was done at 10:15 and went right to bed.
We arrived Sunday Evening 3/12/17, which was also the first day of Daylight Savings Time. It was a little hard to get up in the morning! Here's the outside of the Hospital, it's very nice, everything under one roof. Hotel, surgery, clinic, pharmacy, cafeteria, fitness center, sewing room, kids room, pool table, library.
On the day of my port surgery, I wasn't supposed to eat or drink anything. Poor Mark has shingles and he doesn't feel very well and hasn't for the past month. He asked me if I wanted a cupcake that they had at the front desk and if I wanted coffee. I looked at him like he was crazy and said well, sure. When he brought it to me, I said, you know I can't eat anything. He was like You Tricked Me!
He had to eat it anyway. 
Port Surgery
I'm getting ready for surgery here.
This was the acting silly picture.
Chemo
They put the port in, I was out the whole time. When I woke up, I was sick to my stomach. I threw up a couple of times, they quickly gave me some medicine and it went away. This is in the Chemo room. I have 3 different chemo medicines to take. But first they gave me some anti-upset stomach medicine and some benadryl to help me sleep. I took a nap through most of the chemo. All of this took 6 1/2 hours. I was done at 10:15 and went right to bed.
This is where they put the port in, this picture shows the port.
This is the cut in my chest after they removed the cable and needle from the port. It looks pretty good. I think the Doctor did a good job.
This is what the needle that they put in to administer the chemo looks like. They can give me any medicine I need through this.
That's the end of my first day of installing the port and getting Chemo. Installing the port sounds like computer jargon, like installing the software. :)
Saturday, March 11, 2017
The Dreaded "C" Diagnosis
It all starts with the mammogram
Breast Cancer. It starts with a mammogram, a simple routine mammogram. Not hard to do at all, but then what happens when it comes back with a spot? That's when the hard part begins.
I took a second mammogram, and an ultrasound. Found 2 lumps. Ok, so now what?
The biopsy happened on a Tuesday morning, it wasn't too bad. They numbed me, took a sample with a needle of the two lumps and sent it off for an exam. I was really bruised after that procedure and sore.
Thursday, I got a notice on our hospital portal that said I had an appointment with the surgeon in 7 days. Nothing else noted on the account, just an appointment. That was disturbing. I had an appointment, but no idea what it was about. I sent an email through the portal to the doctor. "This can't be good, if you have scheduled an appointment for me. I need someone to call me Friday and tell me what is going on." Right?
So Friday, I got the call at my work, the lump is CANCER, invasive ductal carcenoma. My heart fell. No way, not me, how could this happen? The doctor probably won't do a lumpectomy, will consider a mastectomy. What stage is it? It's a 3 on the breast cancer scale.
I can't even explain how I felt. I don't want to die, I want to live to see my son do everything in life. I still have so much I want to do. That's the crazy part of the feeling of hearing the diagnosis of cancer. I had to leave work, I really couldn't process it all.
I called my husband, called my mom, went home and cried. I knew I would fight this, but I still couldn't think about it. Ever since I had Kasey, I have been worried about something happening to me. I don't know why, maybe it's just part of being a mother. I don't want him to grow up without me.
I told my stepdaughter, Nicky; she cried. There is something about knowing that someone you have had a help in raising for the last 15 years, really cares about you. I am no different than anyone else in wanting someone to love me as much as I love them. I knew at that moment that she did love me and that she does care about me. She sent me these beautiful flowers on Friday afternoon. They really made me feel good.
It took me two days to process what was going on, then I was ready to figure it all out.
My dad must have spent the two days that I was busy trying to digest everything burning up the Internet lines searching about what was going on with me. How cool is it that your dad does that?
He found the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and gave me their number. They have a facility in Tulsa, about 3 1/2 hours from us. I called on Sunday, the lady that answered the phone, spent an hour with me talking about options, preparing me for what might happen. I felt so good after that phone call.
Breast Cancer. It starts with a mammogram, a simple routine mammogram. Not hard to do at all, but then what happens when it comes back with a spot? That's when the hard part begins.
I took a second mammogram, and an ultrasound. Found 2 lumps. Ok, so now what?
The biopsy happened on a Tuesday morning, it wasn't too bad. They numbed me, took a sample with a needle of the two lumps and sent it off for an exam. I was really bruised after that procedure and sore.
Thursday, I got a notice on our hospital portal that said I had an appointment with the surgeon in 7 days. Nothing else noted on the account, just an appointment. That was disturbing. I had an appointment, but no idea what it was about. I sent an email through the portal to the doctor. "This can't be good, if you have scheduled an appointment for me. I need someone to call me Friday and tell me what is going on." Right?
So Friday, I got the call at my work, the lump is CANCER, invasive ductal carcenoma. My heart fell. No way, not me, how could this happen? The doctor probably won't do a lumpectomy, will consider a mastectomy. What stage is it? It's a 3 on the breast cancer scale.
I can't even explain how I felt. I don't want to die, I want to live to see my son do everything in life. I still have so much I want to do. That's the crazy part of the feeling of hearing the diagnosis of cancer. I had to leave work, I really couldn't process it all.
I called my husband, called my mom, went home and cried. I knew I would fight this, but I still couldn't think about it. Ever since I had Kasey, I have been worried about something happening to me. I don't know why, maybe it's just part of being a mother. I don't want him to grow up without me.
I told my stepdaughter, Nicky; she cried. There is something about knowing that someone you have had a help in raising for the last 15 years, really cares about you. I am no different than anyone else in wanting someone to love me as much as I love them. I knew at that moment that she did love me and that she does care about me. She sent me these beautiful flowers on Friday afternoon. They really made me feel good.
It took me two days to process what was going on, then I was ready to figure it all out.
My dad must have spent the two days that I was busy trying to digest everything burning up the Internet lines searching about what was going on with me. How cool is it that your dad does that?
He found the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and gave me their number. They have a facility in Tulsa, about 3 1/2 hours from us. I called on Sunday, the lady that answered the phone, spent an hour with me talking about options, preparing me for what might happen. I felt so good after that phone call.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Jenny’s Monthly Pillowcases
Mark’s granddaughter Jenavive (we call her Jenny) will be one year old December 17th (the day after my birthday!). I decided to make her pillowcases, started out with only a few then just kept making them. When I was done I realized I almost had enough for one every month. So then I made a few more so I could have one for every month. Course, after I got them all done, I thought I should embroider the month on them. It turned into a really big project, but I had fun making them. And I hope they are something she will treasure for a long time.
January
February
March
April
May
June
I should have turned this fabric the other way, it is backwards. 
July
August
September
October
November
December
This one I probably should have turned the other way also, but for some reason I focused on the green ivy heart and the birdhouse, but it seems like more of the other items are upside down, the deer, stocking, tree, snowman and the house. I hate when I do things like that. But it still looks cute.
I made these pillowcases using the tube method. Missouri Star Quilt Company has a great youtube video here:
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Where Have I Been?
Well, I have been around, just busy. I’m a terrible blogger! I’m sure no one reads me anymore because I NEVER post. But, I’ll be posting quite a bit over the next two weeks, because we’re going on vacation! I love vacations and we’re taking two weeks.
We’re going on a camping trip to Florida, leaving Friday and will be at Disney in Orlando on Sunday, staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground. We’ll be there until Thursday morning, then heading to Key West. Not sure how long we will stay there, we have reservations until Sunday. We don’t have to be back until the following week, so who knows what we will do our last week? No planning, just fun!!
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